Introduction
Special Features Though 7th Stand User is a fairly orthodox RPG, there are a couple of unique mechanics that set it apart, listed below. Recovery Like most RPGs, this game features a number of 'inns' where your party can recover. However, due to the 50 day time limit that's imposed after a certain event in-game, these have to be used sparingly. As a result, managing your stock of money and recovery items becomes of utmost importance. There are a couple different types of items found in-game: *Food items, which recover a large amount, but cannot be used in battle. *Drinks, which recover much less, but can be used in battle. *Medicine, which recovers a lot and can be used in battle, but is expensive and very hard to find in shops. Other ways to recover include restaurants, where you can buy food items that can't be carried in the inventory, or using healing techniques, which are only available to a small handful of party members. Range In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, each Stand has a 'range' attribute limiting the distance at which they can manifest. In 7th Stand User, each Stand and many attack moves also have individual ranges: *Short-range (S) attacks have the highest power output, but do little damage to enemies that are far away. *Mid-range (M) attacks have a reliable damage output regardless of range. *Long-range (L) attacks have the lowest power output, but can hit enemies at any range. For example, attacking an enemy at long range with a short-range attack will do nearly no damage at all. Attacking an enemy at short range with a long-range attack will damage them, but will consume much more SP and won't do nearly as much damage as a short-range attack on the same enemy. Equipment & Tactics Equipment is of much less importance than in most RPGs, with more emphasis placed on experience level and strategy. However, there is one slot where you can equip items, and another where you can change 'battle-tactics'. Equipment is somewhat self-explanatory, but tactics are a bit different - they let you focus your stats on offense or defense by giving a boost to one stat and a debuff to another. Both of these are managed through the Radio (activated with the Shift key). Only the player character's equipment and tactics can be changed - those of the other party member's are locked. Immaterial and Material Stands This game has two types of enemies - material and immaterial. Regular enemies as well as certain Stands can be damaged by all attacks, but immaterial Stands, which appear semi-transparent in battle, will be unaffected by physical attacks like Caravan's guns or dynamite. Many bosses work in tandem with their Stand, and disappear once the other is defeated, allowing the player to choose which one to focus their attacks on. The Brainstorm Command Many story battles and even a handful of optional bosses unlock a special command which disappears after the battle: Brainstorm. If successful, the command will play a scene, ending the battle. However, ending the battle this way will not yield EXP, money, or items, and most of the time, it causes the story to proceed according original manga without alterations. Use it at your discretion depending on the level of challenge that you prefer. Your Party Once you reach the Harbor, the ability to walk around town with one of your teammates is unlocked. You can only have one with you at a time, and talking to certain NPCs or entering certain areas with a party member in tow can unlock short events that raise FP and occasionally unlock useful items. Once you leave an area, you can't go back Due to the story setting and the hurried nature of the journey to Egypt, 7th Stand User lacks a world map. This means that once you've left a town for the next destination, you're barred from it for the rest of the game and locking you out of any optional events you might have triggered there. As many of these events give FP bonuses and sometimes even have an effect on the course of the story, it's recommended that you check each locale thoroughly before departure. FP and its effect on the story There are two ways of raising FP (Friendship Points) in 7th Stand User: activating an event involving that party member, or defeating bosses with them. If you have a high enough friendship with your party members, you may unlock choices during story events that allow departure from the original manga. In addition, FP is a large deciding factor in which of the many endings you'll receive at the end of the game, and the key to unlocking post-game content.